Mental Floss

FISH

Museum of Play

Something Fishy: Big Mouth Billy Bass

Queen Elizabeth, Al Gore, and Tony Soprano all had one.

harum.koh via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

When Cornered, Electric Eels Rise Out of the Water to Attack

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, right?

Oona Lönnstedt

Tiny Plastics in the Ocean Are Harming Baby Fish

Microplastics are making young fish smaller, slower, and less intelligent.

Illustrator unknown via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

These Fish Can Recognize Human Faces

Archerfish join the ranks of non-human animals that can tell humans apart.

Elias Levy via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

Great White Sharks May Travel to Long Island to Mate

New York's wildlife could be even cooler than we thought.

© J. Sparks, D. Gruber, and V. Pieribone

Scientists Capture Glow-In-The-Dark Sharks in the Deep Blue

Scientists using a “shark’s-eye” camera found that catsharks follow the glow to find one another in deep, dark water.

Toll Barn Veterinary Centre Limited via Facebook

7 Incisive Cases of Fish Surgery

When a fish needs a surgical procedure, veterinarians are there to take up the challenge.

IStock

When to Worry About Mercury in Seafood

Don't take the bait. A (reasonable) portion of fish isn't going to hurt you.

istock

Fish Friendships Are Based on Food Preferences, Study Finds

When it comes to choosing their friends, fish are most likely to bond over favorite foods.

Developmental Cell

This Fluorescent Zebrafish Can Help Scientists Understand How Skin Heals

One cell of this fish can express one of 5000 possible shades.

via Long John Silver's Twitter

9 Swashbuckling Facts About Long John Silver’s

Go ahead, order a side of those crunchies.

istock

15 Fish With Amazing Talents

As these marvelous swimmers demonstrate, schools of fish definitely have the best talent shows.

iStock

Listen to the Eerie Sounds of a Mass Ocean Migration

Small deep-water creatures are not so quiet when they travel.

John McMillan, Oregon State University

Farmed Fish Can Evolve at a Surprisingly Fast Rate

The very artificial environment of a fish hatchery causes strong natural selection pressures.

Hairy frogfish in the water. Steve Childs via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

New Zealand Family on Vacation Finds Black Fish with 'Legs'

Museum scientists later identified the specimen as a striated frogfish.

Vásquez V.E. et al. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 2015

Scientists Identify Stealthy Ninja Shark

The aptly named shark is cloaked in black from head to tail and emits a faint blue glow.

Chris Barnhart, Missouri State University

This Parasitic Mussel Pretends to Be a Fish

Female Lampsilis mussels wiggle convincing fish-shaped lures that burst in a cloud of parasitic larvae when a predator strikes.

Christian Grill, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

In a First for Fish, Needlefish Attack Prey from the Air

Off the east coast of Australia, some fish are doing something funny.

iStock

Yes, There Is a Right—and a Wrong—Way to Eat Oysters

For starters, you shouldn't expect oysters from the Pacific and the Atlantic to taste the same.

iStock

Lionfish Continue Their Invasion of the East Coast's Warm Waters

How exactly did this ethereal-looking tropical fish go from tank to trouble?

Andy Turko, University of Guelph

To Cool Off, This Fish Gets Out of the Water

Mangrove rivulus fish use dry land the same way we use swimming pools.

Shark Defenders

Kids Help Save the Oceans With Shark Stanley

The cartoon hammerhead helps protect endangered sharks one smile at a time.

Gagliano via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.5

Damselfish Can Recognize Each Other’s Faces Using UV Vision

Ambon damselfish were able to identify the correct fish face with 75 percent accuracy.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS // PUBLIC DOMAIN

9 Animals That Use Electricity

We all know about the fish-zapping powers of the electric eel, but what about the platypus, the dolphin, or the spider?